Underwater
by Jason
Summary: An old friend makes one last appearance...


I knew I shouldn't be doing this. It was perfectly safe, of course, but Jake would have a fit if he knew. I knew the rules: No morphing unless absolutely necessary. Of course, that's just the rule. I doubt anyone really followed it. The other members of the group all loved to morph birds of prey or whatever and have some fun, Jake included.

I have an osprey morph, and that's always great. The feeling of being way up there, flying around, untouchable, soaring high, wings outstretched, riding the thermals—it's the greatest feeling in the world.

And I was an osprey. I was having some fun. Elfangor gave us this power to fight the Yeerks, but at times, you just can't help but enjoy it. It's a gift and a curse—this time, it was a gift. I was flying towards the beach. I glided towards the little river that flows into the ocean.

After a few minutes, I was there. I made sure nobody was around. Then I demorphed quickly. I rested for a minute or two, then I waded a little way out into the river. Then I morphed again.

My skin turned pale gray. My face bulged out and out and out to form the bottlenose grin of a dolphin. In a few seconds time, I was fully dolphin. I fell face first in the water. The water was too shallow for me to move effectively, but I kicked my tail hard, swam with all my might, and finally was out into deep water.

The dolphin instincts bubbled up inside me, and I just surrendered to the dolphin brain. I let go of all my cares and worries and let the happy, playful dolphin instincts guide me.

I swam and swam. Occasionally I would leap up into the hair, hang there for a while, then dive back down into the water like a torpedo.

A ship came passing by and I got in front of it, riding the great waves the ship produced. It was all a game. All fun.

Until… my echolocation picked up a shape. The outline popped into my head. I recognized it immediately.

Then I realized something terrible. There wasn't just one of them. There were six.

Sharks!

***

The sharks came at me. A pack of ripping, tearing, dangerous creatures. They're the ultimate seagoing predators. Coming. Right. At. Me!

Aaaaaaaahhhh! I cried. One shark I could deal with. Two? Maybe. But three, four, five, _six_?

I was dead meat.

Six sharks came straight at me. I kicked my tail and took off in the opposite direction at top dolphin speed.

I raced through the water, swimming for my life. If they caught me… 

The dolphin is fast. Very fast. But I couldn't outrun six sharks. They would catch me, unless I were saved by some miracle.

The sharks were gaining on me. Closer and closer. I was going as fast as I could but it wasn't enough. My lungs were burning. I surfaced to breathe and the sharks just got closer.

I finally whirled around to face them. I was going to die. But I wasn't going to die running away. I was going to die fighting, at least. I might take down a shark, if I was lucky. They were going to kill me. But I wasn't just going to let them kill me.

_Help me!_ I cried silently as rushed towards the sharks.

***

I rushed towards the sharks. The sharks rushed towards me. I said good-bye. And then…

_FWOOMP!_

One of the sharks just shuddered, and was sent cart wheeling through the water.

_FWOOMP!_

Another of the sharks was sent flying through the water.

A humpback whale! A whale had heard my silly, foolish plea and had come to rescue me!

_FWOOMP!_

Another hammer blow from the whale's tail pummeled a shark into submission.

The sharks decided they'd had enough, and the three remaining sharks turned tail and swam away quickly.

I nearly collapsed in relief. I was saved.

_Thanks, big guy, _I told the whale.

You're welcome, Cassie, the whale responded.

***

What? The whale knew my name? And communicated with thought-speak. What the…?

Aftran?! I asked.

The whale laughed a thought-speak laugh. That's right, Cassie, Aftran said. I _am_ Aftran. 

How did you… I mean… why… how… I stammered.

I don't like sharks. I figured you were just another dolphin at first. Then I realized… I don't know how… that you were Cassie. Something about the way you acted, the way you called for help, Aftran responded. An amazing coincidence, don't you think? 

But why? I asked. Why? 

You've saved my life many times before, Aftran told me. I had to return the favor. 

We talked for a while, then we both turned tail and went off.

While we were swimming away from each other, Aftran turned her whale head at me and called, Good-bye, Cassie! 

Good-bye, Aftran! I responded.

And she disappeared from sight.

I swam quickly towards the shore and demorphed. I was dead meat. But the whale had saved me from the sharks. And the whale was Aftran.

Maybe the Ellimist was involved. I wouldn't doubt it. But either way, it's just further proof that this is a very strange, complicated little world we live in.


End file.
